Just back from a weekend in Gosau and the Krippenstein Freeride Arena – contrasting neighbouring ski areas but both offering some really great terrain.

Located in the Lake District region of Austria, Gosau is split into 3 villages along a charming valley that is abruptly ended by enormous Dachstein peaks and glaciers. We got great weather with plenty of fresh snow and blue skies yesterday. The Gosau ski area is part of the Dachstein West ski area and is ideal for beginners and intermediates with a fair sized ski area that links into several local villages. Mountain huts are plentiful, whilst après ski is fun around the base stations. I mentioned the contrasting region of Krippenstein – here the intermediate skiing is limited, après ski pretty restrained but extreme off-piste skiing abundant – the Krippenstein Freeride Arena has to be one of the very best extreme ski areas in the Alps. The ski routes are very steep, littered with hazards and often deep is powder – guides are absolutely essential in this area.